As most of ya’ll know from previous posts, (and the back of the Raspberry Bottle) we here at Sweet Leaf Tea are ENORMOUS Dog people.  The office always has a pup hanging around and keeping us company.  But what about the cat people out there?  Well this edition of Sweet Leaf Pets is for you!

Meet BIRD!

She’s my cat!  As long as I can remember I have been a cat kinda guy.  Back home in Inez, Texas, we would always has a barn cat to help us control the barn mouse population, as well as the snakes.     So naturally, once I got outta college I wanted to pick up a cute, cuddly, playful Kitten.

I have been invovled with several Austin Pets Alive fundraisers and decided to adopt through them in January. <==Click on the link to learn more about APA.

Bird or Birdie is a brownish grey female tabby with a tiny little heart of gold.  I adopted her when she was 12 weeks old and she took to her new home like a champ.  The name “Bird” stuck after I realized that she has more of a chirp than a full out meow.  Not only does the “chirping” justify her name, she also perches on the backs of chairs (like a bird) and likes to make a nest out of blankets and toys to nap on.  She purrs, kneads, and cuddles.  AWESOME.  Everything I want in a cat wrapped up in a little furry package.  She likes other dogs and cats, is friendly to strangers (BIRD DON’T GET IN THAT VAN), and loves her toys and Facebook (see lower left).  One afternoon soon she is going to make a trip up to the SLT HQ’s for a work day.                                                                                     

But on a more serious side, she has dreams.  She told me that she plans on getting her BBA and opening her own Real estate company, specializing in high-rise kitty condos. see below.

Shoot me an email if you have any questions about the APA adoption process, and follow me on twitter @SweetLeafDanny for updates on events, Sweet Leaf Tea news, and Bird (the cat) updates!

Benefitting Drink Pink to Save The Tatas

WHERE:

1001 E. 6th Street, Austin, TX 78702
(corner of E. 6th St. & San Marcos St., walking distance from all the downtown madness, precariously close to some kinda fort)

WHEN:

Thursday, March 18th, 2010
Noon to 9PM

THE LINEUP:

Stage One
12:15-12:50 Ragen Fykes
1:10-1:45 Freelance Whales
2:05-2:40 Ume
3:00-3:35 Warpaint
3:55-4:30 Morning Benders
4:50-5:25 Here We Go Magic
5:45-6:20 Maluca
7:00- 8:00 GZA

Stage Two
12:30-1:05 Burnt Ones
1:25 – 2:00 Diamond Rings
2:20-2:55 Kid Sister
3:15-3:50 Slow Club
4:10-4:45 Danielson
5:05-5:40 Delorean
6:00 – 7:00 [TBA]*

*Coming soon, stay tuned! Follow us on Twitter and add us on Facebook for updates.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

• Ziegenbock
• Dos Lunas Tequila
• Sweet Leaf Tea
• Knuckle Rumbler
• My Old Kentucky Blog
• You Aint No Picasso
• Ultra8201
• Yours Truly
• Chromewaves
• Car Toys

Two bars and food available on-site along with other fun stuff from our friends at Harley Davidson, screen printing by Southside Sanctuary, and photobooth by GreenShoeLace.com.

RSVP:

This event is FREE, open to the public (no badges required!), ALL-ages, and capacity HUGE (no waiting in wrap-around lines or cramming into a tiny room!). Hassle-free fun. However, please RSVP by doing the following:

1. RSVP on our Facebook event page
2. Friend us on Facebook for updates
3. Follow us on Twitter for updates
4. Tell your friends via Facebook  / Twitter / email

FEELIN’ LUCKY?

For a chance to win VIP passes to Eastbound & Found, click here!

About two weeks ago Janet and I had our first ping pong match. It was a good place to start but could definitely use improvement. For all of those out there that also want to try to pick up a new skill here is a site that lays out the basics of ping pong.

Check it out! Also, if you are an overly competitive person this game could be a great fit for you. So go enjoy a game of ping pong and a bottle of Sweet Leaf Tea.

-By, Jessie Hall

Name: “Olive” Tieken-Clayton

Olive, a brilliant “border-lab,” owned by Russell Clayton, has been with Sweet Leaf Tea since September 2007. Olive is a second chance rescue; she was saved initially via a pet store adoption at 2 months, and then saved again from the original adopter’s neglect at only 6 months. She is now a 3 ½ year old piece of work, and might possibly be the best dog him and his partner will ever have.

Hours: Mondays and Thursdays, 9:00am – 7:00pm

Job: Olive is the brains of the pack. At home and work, she’s often seen collecting and counting tennis balls, determining who’s friendly and who should be told to chill, and helping her dad feel less stressed right when he needs her. When she has on the “backpack of responsibility,” she’s all business… even if it’s just rocks weighing her down.

Favorite Place: Olive is a fan of the typical places dogs love – trails, creeks, countryside, couches; however, she also appreciates the finer things in life – like the hardware store, farmer’s market, or any outdoor festival. She just likes to ‘be’, wherever she might actually be.

Favorite Flavor: Raspberry Sweet Tea… or a dirty martini with no olives (she’s not a cannibal).

Favorite thing to do at work: Play catch. Olive will catch a tennis or racquet ball, roll it around in her mouth for a second, drop it, and then use her nose to push the ball towards the thrower. She’s got some ups too, so throw it high… she’ll get it.

Best trick: “Olive, bring me that”… whatever that is, she’ll bring it to you.

Claim to fame: Olive was once featured in the Austin Business Journal; she and her owner had an article written about them, highlighting this free perk that more companies should consider. Months later, Olive was stopped by an apparent fan on Congress Avenue; she was recognized… her owner was not!

Most memorable moment: Christmas Eve, 2006 – the day Russell received the call that the ‘black dog next door’ was now ours, if I wanted her. We all knew she’d be a great friend for us and our other dog, the ‘yellow dog,’ so I said of course! Olive is perhaps one of the greatest gifts I’ll ever receive.

Tong & Rich holding their autographed Gary Fisher pix after training ride

Is there anything better than pedaling around on a bike for a good cause?

Pedal Thru the Pines:  Distances of 16, 27, 50 or 65 miles in beautiful Bastrop Texas.  Date: 3/6/10

Please Be Kind to Cyclists Ride: Routes of 20 and 40 miles along with some fine family-friendly routes. Starts downtown at Pure Austin. Date: 3/13/10

Spokes n’ Spurs: Distances include a 6 mile family ride along with a 14, 28, 44 and 62.5 mile route. Date: 3/20/10

Rosedale Ride: Distances include 20, 43 and a 63 mile loop. (And let me say that they always have the COOLEST t-shirts!) The parents and teachers come out to support this ride and it’s impossible to not roll away feeling great for doing your part to help their school. Date: 3/27/10

Pedal Power Wildflower Ride: Distances of 12, 23, 36 and 62 miles beginning in Johnson City. (I’ve done this ride before and the views are stunning!) Date: 4/10/10